Tuesday’s Campaign Round-Up, 6.24.14

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the new results from the New York Times/CBS News poll, Democrats lead Republicans on the generic congressional ballot by three points, 42% to 39%. That’s up from a one-point advantage for Dems in the same poll in May, despite President Obama’s declining approval rating.

* A new CNN/ORC International poll also shows Democrats with a narrow generic-ballot advantage, 47% to 45%. But among likely midterm voters, the tables turn and Republicans enjoy a four-point lead, 49% to 45%.

* As Tricia noted earlier, it’s primary day in Colorado, Maryland, Oklahoma, New York, and Utah. Voters will also head to the polls in Mississippi and South Carolina for primary runoffs, and there’s a special election in Florida. For many campaign watchers, the Cochran-McDaniel Senate fight in Mississippi is the big race to watch.

* What’s more, as Rachel reported last night, keep an eye on the Republican gubernatorial primary in Colorado, where Democrats hope to see former Rep. Tom Tancredo win his party’s nomination – because they assume he’d be easy to defeat (again).

* In Maine, the latest University of New Hampshire poll shows incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R) with a ridiculously large lead over her progressive challenger, Shenna Bellows (D), 72% to 17%.

* Many campaign watchers assume the Senate seat in West Virginia will flip from blue to red, but Natalie Tennant (D) believes she has a fighting chance against Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R). Indeed, Tennant will get a boost from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who agreed to campaign with her in West Virginia in mid-July.

* Karl Rove’s American Crossroads is launching a new attack ad in Arkansas, accusing Sen. Mark Pryor (D) of being allied with President Obama. It’s part of a nearly half-million-dollar ad buy from the Republican group.

* And Jody Hice, a Republican congressional candidate in Georgia, doesn’t believe Muslim Americans are entitled to religious liberty under the First Amendment because, he’s argued, Islam isn’t a religion.